Untying God's "Nots": Or, How Much Control Does God Really Have?

If a nation marches against you, know that I am not behind it. (Isaiah 54:15a; The Voice) A common phrase used by many Christians, particularly when there is some tragic event, is that "God is in control". Many people mean different things by the statement, however, the majority of those who use the statement believe that God initiated the tragic event and had a secret mysterious plan to bring some unknown good from it. We believe that such a teaching casts aspersions on God's character. Be...